Petra Niedermayerova tied the school records for singles wins in a season and career with her win on Wednesday night.

May 22, 2013

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Despite a 78-minute weather delay on Thursday in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Division I Singles Championships at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex, K-State’s Petra Niedermayerova swept past Stanford’s Kristie Ahn of Stanford, 6-2, 6-1, to reach the round of 32 for the second straight season. The win for Niedermayerova moved her into a tie for the school records for singles wins in a season and a career.

Niedermayerova, a two-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American and the 2011 Big 12 Player of the Year, owns an overall record of 31-9 (.775) this season. Her career-high 31 wins rank tied for first in school history for wins in a season with Tamar Kvaratskhelia’s performance in the 2004-05 season (31-7).

In her career, Niedermayerova is 79-32 (.712) to rank tied for first in school history for career singles victories. She tied the career singles wins record held by Maria Rosenberg (2000-05, 79-54). Niedermayerova’s career singles winning percentage of .712 ranks second in school history.

After taking a 4-1 first set lead, Niedermayerova was forced to wait out the weather delay and the drying of the courts by the grounds crew. Niedermayerova, ranked No. 15 in the Campbell/ITA national singles rankings, was able to regain her momentum following the delay and broke Ahn’s serve twice to win the opening set, 6-2.

In the second set, Niedermayerova raced out to a 3-0 lead with an aggressive service game. Ahn, who secured Stanford’s 17th NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis team title on Tuesday night in a three-set marathon, looked to pull herself back into the set with a pair of 40-15 leads in the fourth and fifth games. Niedermayerova fought herself back into the games on both occasions to tally a 5-0 lead. Ahn held serve in the sixth game, but Niedermayerova quickly dispatched of Ahn in the seventh game to win 6-1.

Niedermayerova owns a career 3-2 record in her three NCAA Singles Championships appearances. Ahn was ranked No. 25 in the nation, marking Niedermayerova’s 25th career win over an ITA ranked opponent and her highest since defeating No. 22 Anett Schutting of California on Oct. 5 at the Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships.

Niedermayerova is now slated to play No. 20 Kyle McPhillips of UCLA in the singles Round of 32 at 11:30 a.m. McPhillips defeated Maria Belaya of William & Mary in the first round, 6-1, 6-1.

Niedermayerova’s Thursday will be busy, as she will team up with Karla Bonacic for K-State first NCAA Division I Doubles Championship match since 1995. Ranked No. 26 in the national ITA doubles rankings, Niedermayerova and Bonacic earned one of 21 at-large bids and will face the No. 21-ranked Petra Januska and Chelsea Utting of Penn State on Thursday at a time to be determined.

The winner of Thursday’s match will advance to the Round of 16 on Friday to face the winner No. 25-ranked Robin Anderson and Skylar Morton of UCLA or No. 6-ranked Emina Bektas and Brooke Bolender of Michigan.